At the end of July, around twenty aquatic birds and fish were found dead in the lake of Parc Montsouris, located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. A baby black swan, a favorite animal of walkers, had also mysteriously succumbed. The cause of these deaths has so far remained undetermined, since the samples taken in thewater did not reveal the presence of toxic bacteria. But the situation has changed: the autopsies of the animals have spoken.
The body of water under surveillance
It is The Parisian which reveals the information: the botulism, a rare and particularly deadly disease for aquatic fauna, is at the origin of this health crisis. It is caused by bacteria that produce a potent toxin, which can lead to paralysis and result in death. “This botulinum bacterium did not present a risk to human health”, nonetheless specifies Pénélope Komitès, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of green spaces and biodiversity.
The body of water in Parc Montsouris is now under surveillance. “We have agreed, with Eau de Paris (the public operator responsible for the production and distribution of water), to increase the flow of the waterfalls and to eliminate as much as possible any accumulation of nutrients”, concludes Pénélope. Komites.
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